


One Way to Win on Christmas

by AthenaScarlet



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Captain Swan Secret Santa, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Newspapers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 23:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5473742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaScarlet/pseuds/AthenaScarlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With 12 days before Christmas, can two reporters find the gift of love under their tree? She is Emma Swan, courts reporter for the Boston Star. He is Killian Jones, list-making extraordinaire with a desk next to her. And you’ll never believe what happens on Christmas Day!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For camillewithlove for Captain Swan Secret Santa! Based on a prompt from alchemistc. (You can find both awesome people on tumblr.)

Emma sighed as she walked into the newsroom. The place was an absolute mess. Although to be fair, it was always a mess. But this year, management had found some extra cash in the budget that needed to be spent, and they decided the old newsroom needed a facelift. It was a change that had to happen, but the transition before the new desks were ready was going to be chaotic.

Somehow, this meant that Emma got stuck next to reporters she normally wouldn't be around, particularly Killian Jones, who was the worst. She knew the Boston Star needed someone like Killian on staff. The lists he wrote were total click bait for the newspaper's website, but click bait made them money, and money was buying her a new workspace.

Killian also had a personality that totally matched the entertainment department, which was normally the group he sat with. Fluffy, bubbly, fun. All things that Emma never had to deal with on a daily basis with her assignments. Instead, she was usually at the courthouse until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Then she would walk the four blocks to the newsroom, give a gruff nod to her editor, and dig into her notes to write her story for the day. But her tough-as-nails editor was stuck in some temporary place in some corner while she got assigned this random empty spot.

"Swan!" came the jovial voice that had been greeting her for the past few days.

"Jones."

Killian stood up and gave her a dramatic theatrical bow. "Always a pleasure to see you here, lass."

"Sit down," she mumbled as she grabbed her laptop out of her bag and unceremoniously dropped the rest of it on the floor.

Killian sat with a flourish and a flirtatious smile. That stupid smile that made Emma feel things she never wanted to feel about someone like him. All the click baiting crap was a necessary evil in the industry right now and in her newsroom, that evil was being led by a charming devil with a British accent and blue eyes.

"Oh, Swan! Bad news." He gave her a fake pout. "They pushed back the end date for construction so now you're stuck with me until February."

"Before or after Valentine's Day?"

"After. So don't fret! I promise I'll buy you that red teddy bear you so desperately want."

Emma just rolled her eyes and started flipping through her notes for the day. Usually, she had to deal with the typical criminals in the city, but today was a bit more sensational for a nice change of pace.

"Emma Swan!" She turned to see her grumpy editor, Leroy, striding over to her desk. "You've got a front-page slot for your story. Make it good."

"Sure thing, boss," she said with a smile as Leroy walked by and started barking out the names of his other writers scattered throughout the cramped newsroom.

Emma turned back to her notes with triumph. The front page was a nice grab for her, even if she got there with this flashy story.

"So what kind of fun did you have at the courthouse that got you a front-page spot, Ms. Swan?"

She looked up to see Killian staring at her, and this time he genuinely seemed interested in what she was working on.

"The Mills divorce."

His eyebrows perked up and he sat up straighter. "Anything good?"

"Yea," she said as she started flipping through her notes. "Here's a question for you though -"

"Wait, are you asking for my advice?" he asked hopefully.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't get cocky on me, Jones. I'm just trying to decide what to lead with. Can you help?"

"Definitely."

Emma started flipping through her notes. "Regina says their prenup should be voided because he didn't really love her, and Leopold says she knew what she was doing when she signed it."

"So if it's gone, she can get more money."

"Not more money, just money," Emma explained. "Apparently, she was having an affair with some stable boy at their estate in Vermont, which would mean she broke the prenup's fidelity clause…."

"And won't get anything if it stands in court," Killian replied. "Brilliant! So who gets the team?"

Leopold owned the Boston Kings baseball team, which was well loved in the city. Fans were getting antsy that the divorce proceedings could get dragged into the start of the season and be a distraction to the team.

"The details are somewhere in here," Emma said as she started to page through her notepad. "Essentially, if the prenup sticks and the fidelity clause is tripped, Regina gets nothing. But if the prenup gets tossed, she could get half the team."

Killian scrunched his face up in disgust. "I would lead with that. Because seriously, at this point, I would have an affair with her to make sure she didn't get the team."

"Really?"

"Does that surprise you?"

Emma shrugged. "I just figured, you know, you're from England so you'd probably be a soccer fan."

"Football, thank you," he replied teasingly. "And I've lived here long enough that I've learned to enjoy the finer things in American culture."

"Since when was sitting in some old stadium in Boston with a hot dog and cheap beer considered one of the finer things?"

Killian shook his head and turned to the work on his screen. "And I thought you were cool, Swan," he muttered as he went back to whatever list he was focused on.

The two of them worked in silence with only the sound of their clacking keyboards filling the air around them. Emma always liked this part of her job - focused on the page, fingers dancing over the keys as she spit out 500 words onto her screen.

"Emma Swan!"

Emma's head jerked up just as Leroy was walking over to her desk. "Hey, boss. I just need two minutes and I'll send the story over."

She polished off the last sentence and smiled as she waited for the slow publishing system to finally get her story to her editor. Leading with the baseball team really had been a good way to start the story, but she wasn't going to tell Killian that.

"Hey, Emma."

Speak of the devil. Emma turned to see him standing by her desk, wearing his trademark black leather coat with his computer bag slung over his shoulder.

"So I have this feeling that you don't always like me."

"I don't."

He smiled, undeterred. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could get past that and work together."

She leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her. "Really?" she asked skeptically.

"I think this Mills case would be great for a list. Would you be up for helping me put one together?" he asked with his trademark flirtatious grin.

 _Stupid grin_ , she thought.  _Stupid hot grin on that stupid gorgeous man._  She grimaced and conceded defeat. The stupid gorgeous man had a point.

"Yea, we could do that."

He leaned down, invading her personal space and gave her a wink. "I look forward to it, Swan."


	2. Chapter 2

"Swan!"

Emma sighed and clutched the strap on her computer bag a little tighter. This was becoming a daily thing, and she wasn't sure if she loved it or loathed it.

"Jones."

"Guess what today is?" he asked giddily.

"Please don't make-"

"Today is 11 cat gifs that will make you feel warm and fuzzy."

Emma sighed. "I don't do warm and fuzzy."

Killian looked up at her and scowled. "What about a kitty rolling around with a puppy?"

"No."

"A box full of kittens?"

"No."

"Have you been to the doctor recently?"

She gave him a surprised look. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just wanted to see if you've ever had a professional confirm that you have a heart."

She stared at him and booted up her computer. She wasn't going to tell him that she did, in fact, have a heart. She also wasn't going to tell him that when she got home after work, she was going to look at his list of cat gifs. Seriously, what breathing human could resist cute cat gifs? She just wasn't going to tell him that.

xxx xxx xxx

"Television show cancelled too soon. Go!"

"Go?"

Killian looked up and gave her a sheepish grin. "In other words, stay and help me out. Show cancelled too soon?"

"Pushing Daisies."

He started nodding vigorously as he typed his list. "Yes, totally. Excellent choice. Lee Pace was so good in that."

Emma couldn't help but smile at his encouraging response. "Thanks," she said, realizing she was being a little too nice with her tone of voice. "What else did you put on there?'

"Wonderfalls."

"Wonder what?" she replied.

"Wonderfalls. Cancelled by Fox. Starred Lee Pace."

Her eyes narrowed as she stared in his direction. "You also picked a Lee Pace show?"

Killian chuckled quietly and smiled. "I guess great minds think alike, Swan."

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan, guess what?"

Killian looked like an eager puppy as she sat down at the desk next to him.

"I get to move to my new desk tomorrow so I won't have to see you anymore."

"No. Why would you even joke about something like that?" he said sternly. "Anyway, Buckingham Palace released photos of Princess Charlotte, and you'll never guess who took them!"

"Kate?"

He slouched back in his desk chair with a look of defeat. "Her name is Catherine, she's the Duchess of Cambridge, and you're no fun."

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan! Worst gift a man gave you for Christmas."

"Never had a man give me anything for Christmas."

"Well, that's not right. You deserve to have a man lavish you with gifts for Christmas."

Emma intentionally scratched her face to hide her smile from Killian. He actually sounded sincere when he said it, and it was probably the best compliment she had received in a long time.

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan, which house do you think the Hogwarts Sorting Hat would put you in?"

She turned and gave him a perplexed look. "Well, that's a random question."

"My list today is Harry Potter themed, and I'm trying to start a pleasant on-topic conversation," he explained. "So, your Hogwarts house?"

"Ravenclaw."

Killian's eyes looked at her in surprise before that stupid devilish grin of his showed up.

"What's wrong with Ravenclaw?"

He shrugged. "I just didn't expect you to entertain my question and then have an answer that quick."

"I like Harry Potter, and Ravenclaws pride themselves on intelligence and individuality."

"You definitely have both of those, lass" he said.

"Shut it, Jones," she replied teasingly. "Besides, which house would you choose?"

"Oh, Hufflepuff, obviously. I suspect they have the best parties, so of course I would want to be there."

"You picked your Hogwarts house based on parties?"

"I bloody well did, lass."

xxx xxx xxx

"Seven swans a swimming!"

Emma scowled at Killian's welcome as she took her seat at her desk. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I thought I would do a list of our seven favorite swimmers in honor of the swan next to me," he said with a flirtatious wink in her direction. "But all I have so far is Michael Phelps so help me out."

"Scrap it."

He gave her a frustrated look. "Swan, you have made no secret that you're not a fan of my work, but I can't just scrap my job."

"Scrap your list. There's a better option," she said with a mischievous grin. "Seven synchronized swimmers' suits that will blow your mind."

Killian stared at her, and she worried that she may have short circuited his brain. To be fair, she almost shocked herself. What was she doing encouraging him with a list idea? What was wrong with her? She hadn't fallen under the charms of Killian Jones, had she?

Then he gave her that smile of his. "Swan, you're my savior!"

And with that, he turned to his computer and furiously typed away, leaving Emma to wonder what the hell just happened to her.

xxx xxx xxx

"Jones!"

She was pretty proud of herself for making him jump in his seat. "Swan, you scared the bloody hell out of me."

Emma dropped her bag on her chair and came over to lean on Killian's desk. "I have a list for you!" she said triumphantly. "Well, maybe. It's only four things. Is that a list?"

Killian looked like Christmas had come early as he took in the blonde in front of him. "For you, I can make it work."

"So Regina Mills had three different men she was having affairs with."

"Yes!" he exclaimed before grabbing the pen and pad on his desk. "Who are they?"

"The stable boy named Daniel, some guy named Robin, who's a petty thief -"

"Has he ever been convicted?" he asked.

"Yes. And get this, the cop who arrested him most recently is named Graham something. It's in my notes. Anyway, Regina ended up having an affair with him too."

Killian audibly gasped. "Amazing, Swan. Do you know how many hits this could get?"

Well, she did, which kind of made her stomach churn. She hated playing this click bait game. It wasn't real journalism, at least not to her, but there was no denying that it brought in money.

"Oh," she added quickly. "The fourth name. Are you ready?"

"Of course," he said happily.

"Cora, mother of Regina."

He stared up at her with a confused look. "Regina had an affair with her mother?"

"No, but Leopold had an affair with her mother."

Killian laughed loudly and started scribbling furiously on his notepad. "Swan, I could kiss you right now."

Emma's brain suddenly could only think of Killian's lips on hers, probably soft and moist, his scruff tickling her cheek as he pushed closer, kissed harder, his tongue teasing for entrance into…

"Swan?"

Emma snapped out of her daydream to see Killian staring at her with a perplexed look. "What?"

"You seemed a bit lost in your thoughts, lass."

She cleared her throat and quickly stood up from her spot at Killian's desk. "Oh, I uh…. just need to get started on my story for today."

He nodded quietly. "I'll get working on this. Can you send me the name of the cop when you have a chance?"

"Yea, yea, sure." She sat down in her chair and tried to busy herself with getting her laptop booted up.

"I'm going to create a box for you to add to the story online too so you can link to the list. This is going to be amazing, Swan!"

Amazing. Sure. She hoped it wouldn't be too amazing or she would have more inappropriate thoughts about Killian, and that could never happen again.

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan!"

At least five reporters looked up from their desks to see who Killian was yelling at from across the newsroom. Emma ducked her head and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear to avoid their glares as she approached her desk.

"Emma Swan, now is not the time to be modest."

Killian walked over to her desk, arriving just in time to pull her chair out for her. She gave him a tight smile and sat down, trying to remember the last time a man pulled a chair out for her. He leaned in from behind her, his mouth so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her neck. "You're bloody brilliant, Emma," he whispered in her ear as he pushed her chair in.

She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head and focus on what the hell was going on. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Killian's hand squeezed her shoulder before turning to lean against her desk. Damn, his long legs seemed much longer than usual from that angle.

"Your idea for the Mills family affair list was genius!" he said, his face lighting up with a smile. "It got the most hits of any list this year - and it's not even 24 hours old! Seriously, Swan, that was a damn good idea."

Emma couldn't help but smile. "Well, I'm glad I could be of some assistance."

"I owe you a drink sometime."

A drink at a bar with Killian Jones? "Yea," she said, quickly turning her head towards her desk. "Sometime."

Killian continued to silently lean on her desk as she tried to distract herself with her laptop, her notebook, some random pen on her desk, all so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'm going to hold you to that drink, Emma," he said in a low husky voice that made her feel like someone had turned the heat up in the newsroom.

But before she could come back with some witty reply, he had already pushed himself away from her to take a seat back at his desk, busying himself with whatever he was working on next. Emma took the hint and did the same, thankful that she had the next two days off after this. She was definitely going to need a break from Killian Jones and the thoughts that he kept making her have.

 


	3. Chapter 3

The snow was gently falling outside on Christmas morning as Emma tucked into her cup of coffee at her desk. She worked every Christmas since she began her journalism career, and most years even volunteered for it. She actually preferred it this way. Growing up in the foster system meant that she never experienced what the big deal was about celebrating the holidays with family. So she figured it was no problem being in the office and letting her fellow co-workers spend time with their loved ones.

It also gave her a chance to catch up on the things she never had time to do otherwise. She planned to sort through the papers on her desk and clean out her drawers. She might even get her computer files organized and her email cleaned out.

Emma walked into the photo department and grabbed their big trash can from the corner, dragging it towards her desk as the smell of warm donuts began to fill the air. Warm donuts? She didn't bring warm donuts.

"Swan?"

She turned to see Killian standing behind her, box of donuts in his hand and a look of shock on his face.

"You're working today?" Emma asked. "I didn't see you on the schedule."

That seemed to break Killian out of his moment, and he gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm trying to get a jump on some work before I go on vacation in a few weeks." He walked over and put the box down on his desk. "Help yourself to a donut. I brought extras."

"Thanks," she said quietly. "I just made a pot of coffee in the break room if you want some."

"You're the best, lass," he said as he hung up his coat. "Do you need a refill?"

"No, but thanks."

He nodded and grabbed his mug from his desk to head to the break room. Emma watched him go, not sure of how to read him today. He was definitely more subdued - maybe Christmas didn't hold good family memories for him either. And he seemed a bit nervous for some reason.

Of course, there was also the issue of space. Emma had needed to distance herself from him after what happened a few days ago when he had been complimentary and close and warm. She hadn't expected Killian Jones would make her feel things she never thought she would feel for him.

"How can that donut box still be closed?" he said as he made his way back to her.

"Just thinking about what I have to do today."

She gave herself an invisible pat on the back for her quick but reasonable explanation to cover up for the fact that she had been thinking about him.

Emma walked over and lifted the lid on the donuts, expecting to find a typical donut assortment. Instead, it looked like a Christmas icing explosion. There were red and and white and green ones with sprinkles and stripes and extra frosting. A few looked like holiday wreaths.

"Anything look good to you, Emma?" Killian asked quietly.

"Yea."

She grabbed one out of the box without thinking about it, not sure if Killian's question had really been about the donuts or something else. Hell, she wasn't sure if her answer was about the donuts either.

"So," he said matter-of-factly as he sat down across from her. "How did you get stuck working the holiday this year?"

"Didn't get stuck. Volunteered." She looked up from her donuts to find Killian giving her a perplexed look. "I was a foster kid, so I don't have family or anything so…." Her voice trailed off, and she hoped Killian would fill in the blank as she took another bite of her donut to mask the silence in the newsroom. "What about you?"

"Oh, it's just me and my brother, Liam. He lives in London, and since tickets are so expensive this time of year, I usually do Christmas with him in January. Hence, I'm here banking some work up for when I'm gone." He took a sip from his cup and smiled. "That coffee is so good, Swan." He raised his mug to her and smiled. "Merry Christmas."

She smiled and tipped her mug in his direction. "Merry Christmas."

And then she spent the next hour doing what she could to not stare at the man sitting across from her as they got work done. He seemed to be doing the same. Occasionally she would look up from her pile of trash to see him concentrating on his computer screen, his frustration slightly hidden by the long hair covering his forehead. Emma's hands would twitch slightly, wanting to push it off his face and then use that as an excuse to run her hands through his hair.

That's when she would catch herself and quickly stare at her desk. It didn't matter what it was. Her papers or mug or keyboard. Whatever it took to clear her head. But that was becoming harder and harder as the day wore on. What had happened to her? Two weeks ago, she brought over a cardboard box of all her desk items, bemoaning the fact that she was going to be stuck next to the list guru. And now? Now, she wondered when exactly her contempt for Killian Jones had turned into something completely different. When did he start making her feel all warm and fuzzy? Maybe it was the cat gifs or which Hogwarts house he would want to be in. Or maybe it was the time he honestly told her that she deserved to get a good present from a man for Christmas.

She kept trying to distract herself, moving things around, making sure there wasn't any breaking news, checking her inbox for emails that were never going to show up today. But the snow outside and the quiet inside began to make her feel more cozy, comfortable, and content. Maybe being here with Killian wasn't the worst thing after all.

"Swan?"

"What's up?"

She looked over from her nearly empty desk to see Killian's eyes darting around his computer screen. "I'm saving a file and eating lunch. Do you have something in the kitchen I can get you?"

Emma shrugged. "I figured I'll just piece something together from the vending machine."

He turned to give her a stern look. "You are not eating a vending machine lunch. Do you like Mexican food?"

"Yea, but it's Christmas. The Mexican place downstairs is closed."

Killian gave her a knowing smile and got up from his desk. "Wait here, and promise you won't give those machines your money while I'm gone."

"I promise?" she replied apprehensively as she watched him walk away.

If that man came back with food for her, she had no idea what she would say. This all was so weird. Killian had been working for the paper for almost a year now, and she had done everything in her power to stay out of his way. But it had only taken two weeks of sitting next to him to make her realize she had been so mistaken about him.

"Alright, Swan. I hope you like enchiladas!"

Emma turned to see him walking back with two plates in his hand. The bastard had food for her.

"I know these don't look like the fancy ones from downstairs, but to be fair, I made them myself last night," he explained as he set a plate down on her clean desk. "Fork?"

She slowly took the plastic utensil from his hand without looking up. Of all the things that could make her cry on Christmas, it was going to be some homemade enchiladas that would do her in.

"You OK, Swan?"

"Fine, fine." She quickly looked up to see Killian staring back with a concerned look on his face. "I'm fine. I just…" She took a deep breath, hoping to steady her voice. "I don't remember the last time someone made food for me."

Killian's lips teased upward into a smile. "It's well deserved," he said sweetly. "Not everyone is kind enough to volunteer to work on Christmas."

"Well, if it's any consolation, this is probably the best Christmas present I ever got so thank you." His smile fell slightly and he scratched nervously behind his ear. "Sorry, complimenting your food like that was a little too much, wasn't it?"

"Not too much," he said quietly as he sat down. "I hope they live up to your expectations."

She gave him a perplexed look that he luckily didn't see with his head stuffed in his plate. Then she took her first bite of Killian's lunch.

"Oh my god, this is good."

"You like it?" he asked.

"From now on, I promise I'll work every holiday if I can have this for lunch."

He smiled as he ate his food. "I have other things I can make that are just as good."

"Don't tease me, Jones. If this is the way you cook, I'll eat whatever you make me."

His silverware paused in midair. "I'll keep that in mind," he said before resuming his lunch.

Something was up with him, and Emma couldn't quite figure out what. He didn't seem like his usual joking self. It was like there was some sort of nervousness or seriously underneath him, and she wasn't sure where it was coming from. Instead, she just continued to eat her lunch and talk about random things with him. Easy things. Superficial things. Things that didn't really matter but still felt good to talk about because she could actually share today with someone.

After lunch, she dug into her email to get as much cleared out as she could before shuffling the last of the papers around her desk to find a home for them. That's when she found her notes that she had specifically set aside for Killian.

"Jones!" she said cheerfully, standing up to look over the cubicle wall at him. "I have a gift for you!"

His blue eyes snapped up at her in surprise. "You have a gift for me?" he asked seriously.

"Don't get too excited. It's just a piece of paper." She handed it over to him with a smile on her face. "A list of assets that the Mills are fighting over as part of the divorce. I thought you could make it into a list. You know, get some more hits."

He took it from her hand and gave her an awkward smile. "Oh, right. Thank you. This is actually really useful."

She stared at him as he put it down on his desk, his eyes purposely avoiding hers.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"No. I just uh…."

He scratched nervously behind his ear again before taking a deep breath and standing up, his hand slipping into the work bag on his desk. He pulled out a small box wrapped in the comics page from the Sunday paper and walked over to Emma with it.

"I was just going to leave this on your desk, but since you're here." He smiled nervously. "Sorry, but I didn't have actual Christmas paper so I had to improvise."

Killian's hand was shaking slightly as he held the box out for Emma to take, but she was too stunned to move.

"What's that?" she asked.

His nervous smile grew tight as he pushed the package closer to her. "Merry Christmas, Emma," he said quietly.

She slowly took the box from him, the newspaper rough under her fingers as she looked back up at him with surprise. "What is this?"

He shrugged and nervously shifted on his feet. "I couldn't let you go another Christmas without getting a good gift from someone who cared about you."

Emma stood there staring at him, stunned that there was a gift in her hand. From him. She had to lean against her desk to keep her legs from giving out as she finally began to rip the paper off of his gift. Underneath it was a small black box with a top that she slowly lifted off with shaky hands, and inside lay a shiny silver necklace with a small swan charm on it.

"I thought a Swan needed a swan," Killian explained. "May I?"

He reached out his hand for the box, and Emma could only nod in response, too stunned by his present to her. He gently laid the box on her desk and pulled the necklace out, undoing the small clasp. Then he pulled himself close to her so he could put it around her neck, his arms wrapping around her, enveloping her in his warmth. She could feel the heaviness of the charm around her neck before he let go and smiled down at her.

"It looks good on you, Swan," he said quietly. "Merry Christmas."

Her hand reached for the charm, cool against her chest, as she tried to say something, anything in response. But she couldn't. Her throat felt closed off, pulling all of the emotion in her body to that one spot. A few weeks ago, she had dreaded the move to this new desk next to Killian Jones. Now, she couldn't imagine what her Christmas would've been like without him. But how could she say that to him? Explain to him exactly what his gift meant to her.

She couldn't. She honestly couldn't find the words. So instead, she stood up her toes and kissed him. He didn't react at first and she worried that she had made the wrong move. But then his surprise disappeared, his arms wrapping themselves around her as he pulled her closer and kissed her harder. She nipped at his lower lip, causing him to moan instinctively in approval before his hand moved higher, threading his fingers through her hair in a way that made her wish they were somewhere other than the office.

And she was right to wish that. She didn't know how long their make-out session had been. She just knew that the elevator dinged in the lobby, causing her to quickly pull away from him and sit down, intent on making sure that whoever was coming into the newsroom didn't get an eyeful of the courts reporter sticking her tongue down the throat of the listmaker.

Killian quickly got the hint and made his way back to his chair just in time for Sidney Glass to come in and relieve them of their Christmas duties.

"Merry Christmas, guys!"

"Hey," Emma said casually.

"Merry Christmas, man," Killian said without looking up at his screen.

The two of them sat quietly as Sidney started to unpack his bag and get set up for the evening shift.

"Anything interesting today at all?"

"Nope," Emma replied quickly. "No, nothing. It was a quiet news day luckily."

There was more silence that was only broken when Killian stood and started packing up his bag. "Speaking of news, I should probably let you news people get to work."

Emma watched as he put his coat on and slung his bag over his shoulder, trying to find a way to say something to him or do something to let him know she didn't want him to leave her, not tonight. But he just gave her a tight smile and said a pleasant goodbye to her and Sidney before heading for the elevator.

Emma's heart ached, her hand instinctively reaching for the swan charm around her neck. It was the only gift a man had ever given her for Christmas, and to get it from Killian made it that much more special.

"Alright, Emma. I'm ready to go," Sidney said from his desk nearby.

Emma's hand quickly let go of the charm, almost as if it had burned her as she tried to focus on doing whatever she could to get out of there.

"The wires are yours, and there's nothing to update," she said.

She packed up her bag and stuffed everything into it - her phone, her laptop, her black box for her necklace. Then she gave Sidney a quick "Merry Christmas," and headed for the elevator, the blood still nervously pumping through her body as she tried to calm herself down.

But the elevator ride didn't help. Walking through the lobby didn't help. Even the cold that hit her cheeks as she stepped outside didn't help. Her body was still humming from Killian's touch and the gift around her neck. She really needed a drink to clear her head and figure out what to say to Killian and how to even get in touch with him. Work email would be weird, right? But maybe she could find his number somewhere. And then what?  _Hey, I randomly found your number and decided to call._  That would be weird, right? Or would it be alright since he did give her a beautiful gift for Christmas?

She trudged through the slush on the street, headed for the Irish pub that had become a second home for so many Boston Star reporters over the years. Emma hoped the familiar surroundings would help calm her and straighten out her head.

The place was dark and practically empty when she walked in. There were a few guys watching the basketball game at the bar and a couple at a table in the corner.

And Killian.

He was sitting at a table near the window by himself, a glass of amber liquor in his hand, staring out at the street. He looked somber as he took another drink from his glass, and all Emma wanted to do was kiss him to make him feel better. This was her chance so why not?

She started walking over to his table, taking a deep breath to work up her nerve. Killian finally turned and noticed her, his blue eyes bright against the darkness of the bar. He put his drink down on the table and stood up to greet her, his face stoic.

"Emma."

She didn't stop walking, didn't get deterred by the lack of his usual smile. Instead, she grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled him down to kiss him. Again. It wasn't as sweet as the kiss in the newsroom. This time, it was territorial. It was Emma telling him that he was hers for now, that he was the gift she was going to give herself. Emma Swan had found what she really wanted for Christmas: Killian Jones.

She pulled away from him, watching as his dilated pupils tried to adjust to the light and the woman in front of him.

"I would like that drink you owe me drink, Jones."

"I can do that," he replied with a smile. "Anything else you want?"

She smiled and leaned in, her cheek brushing against the scruff on his jawline. "You."

His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer. "I can do that, too," he whispered in her ear. "Merry Christmas, Emma."

She smiled and buried her face into the warm crook of his neck as her arms encircled him. "Merry Christmas, Killian."


End file.
